Public art engages, tell stories, evokes conversations and creates a sense of place.
We see this as an opportunity to support the Central Coast’s thriving and diverse creative community.
Our approach to public art will be focused on local, placing the community and its creative practitioners at the heart of the plan. Our deliverables will drive access to creative outputs, and prioritise opportunities to engage, nurture and support local artists at all career stages. This plan will outline how we can deliver a suite of actions to support the delivery, management and assessment of permanent and temporary public art for the Central Coast community.
The 10-year Public Art Plan will outline:
- A cohesive vision that all public art projects can use as a conceptual foundation
- Opportunities for local artists and artists beyond the region to develop public art on the Coast
- Frameworks that identify and invest in the development of largescale public art works.
The community engagement will also inform:
- Guidelines for community members, businesses and developers to invest in local public art of all scales
- A Public Art Policy that refers to processes and tools that invest in developing public art, and managing the entire lifecycle of a project.
Consultation update
In February and March we asked you to complete a survey to help us understand community values around public art.
You can view the results in this summary.
We also ran focus groups with targeted stakeholders. Your feedback will inform the development of the Public Art Plan, which will be exhibited publicly in mid to late 2024.
Basic Documents
Segmented Documents
Timeline
Who's listening
FAQs
What is public art?
Public Art is any art within public spaces like parks, streets, buildings and other areas for public use. It can take many forms ranging from large permanent sculptures to a small projection project. Public art aims to enrich community. It is where creativity, culture and community intersect in a visible way that stimulates reflection, imagination and participation.
Why do we need a Public Art Plan?
There is consistent evidence that public art plays an important role in providing social, economic, and environmental benefits for our communities. Currently, Council does not have a clear or consistent approach to public art which has created ongoing challenges for artists, community members, businesses, and Council staff.
The Public Art Plan seeks to;
• Provide a set of guiding principles and actions informed by community need;
• Outline why and how Council is involved in public art;
• Identify what we gain by supporting and investing in public art;
• Clarify the context and processes within which decisions about public art are made.
Who is developing the Public Art Plan?
The development of the plan is being driven by Council’s Community and Culture Unit, who is working collaboratively with other teams across Council. Council has also engaged cultural consultants to support the delivery of this plan.
I’m a local artist, how can I get involved?
The community survey is the first phase which involves initial consultation with the broader community to develop the plan’s overarching vision and objectives. We encourage local artists to share their ideas and identify opportunities. There is a question within this survey which asks if you work as a creative and if so, within which industry. This will help us with specific stakeholder knowledge. Within this community survey there is an option to provide your email if you would like updates on this project and other art related consultation opportunities. We will welcome further community feedback on the draft plan, during the exhibition period in the second half of the year.
I love a certain type of artwork, can we have more like this?
Lots of different things must be considered when commissioning and selecting new public art. This includes the artwork itself, the artist selected, the space, the community that will experience it, as well as the cost and maintenance of it. Different artworks inspire different responses and can challenge our thoughts and ideas. The plan will outline a clear direction for the future of public art in the region, including art that will contribute to making our public spaces interesting, curious and creative for our community.